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Introduction
Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Who doesn’t love the leaves changing colors, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin flavored treats! Fall is the perfect time for families to create lasting memories and traditions that will continue on for generations, not to mention make the cutest photo-ops ever!
Of course, going out can be costly with a family and there is such a pressure to pay high costs to make those memories. BUT magic doesn’t have to cost anything! You can make memories for free this fall with this fall bucket list! This fall bucket list has something on it for every family with 40+ ideas that are under $20, most of them free! With this bucket list in hand, this is going to be a season full of memory making and money saving!
The Magic Behind Fall Family Traditions (And Why Your Kids Will Thank You Later)
I have yet to find someone who doesn’t love family traditions or rituals that have good memories associated with them! Traditions give us something to look forward to and they create security for children because of the consistency they create! You get to anticipate this season all year!
With so much on our schedules each day, especially the closer we get to the holidays the less family time can be a priority. Creating and maintaining family traditions help us to stay connected and fend off all the distractions from the world from what REALLY matters, our family. Quality time as a family creates better connections, stronger relationships, more mental stability and reduces feelings of loneliness that plague each member of our family. As the seasons change some fall family activities are the perfect recipe for meaningful connection in your family.
If you are a new family or simply one without traditions, this fall season is the perfect time to start. Each idea on the fall bucket list is simple and can be done with children and adults of any age. They are easily repeatable no matter where you go from year to year as well. Don’t be afraid to experiment as a family and see what works best for you. Building and deciding on traditions together is a part of the process that brings everyone together.
Along with creating traditions, these budget fall activities are perfect for those chilly fall days that you can’t go outside for. They give you something to do inside and outside as the weather gets more unpredictable. Bad weather can go from an inconvenience to the perfect time for a family bonding activity!
How to Create a Fall Bucket List on a Budget
This fall bucket list contains 40+ ideas, but don’t limit yourselves to these 40! There are a million ideas you could make come to life that fit right into your budget. Let you kiddos brain storm and create unique ideas that your whole family can enjoy.
To create your own fall bucket list incorporate some things that your family already loves to do and put an autumn twist on it! Encourage your kids to base their ideas on supplies that you have at home or events that already take place in your hometown and community. List all of your ideas and try them out!
Bonus tip: Turn completing your fall bucket list into a fun family challenge!
40+ Budget-Friendly Fall Bucket List Ideas
All of these ideas make me absolutely THRILLED about summer ending, haha which isn’t usually the case. A lot of these are a part of my family traditions that we do with infants in arms and grandparents in tow, there is no age limit! You’ll find ideas that get you outside in the autumn weather, ones that are for a cozy fall day, some that get you involved in the community and other that create mindfulness and connection between each other. Each activity is a cheap but priceless opportunity to create magical memories and really feel like a family this fall season!
Free Outdoor Fall Bucket List
All of these ideas are perfect family bonding activities that allow space for creativity and beautiful photo opportunities. This is not a comprehensive list of things to do outside during fall. Make sure to google around and see what is available near you!
- Visit a pumpkin patch (many are free to walk through)
- Go on a fall foliage hike
- Create leaf art and decorations
- Have a leaf pile jumping contest
- Have a backyard bonfire (or fire pit gathering)
- Go apple picking at u-pick orchards
- Take fall family photos in natural settings
- Collect pine cones and acorns for crafts
- Go on a fall scavenger hunt
- Visit local farmers markets
- Take evening walks to spot fall decorations
Cozy Indoor Fall Bucket List Ideas
These indoor activities are so great for those chilly fall days you just want to stay inside for. You’ll find some delicious treat ideas and some mindfulness activities on this list. These activities are great to invite some friends and family over for to enjoy your spoils from the day!
- Create DIY fall decorations from dollar store supplies
- Have a fall-themed family movie night
- Bake pumpkin muffins or allergy-friendly treats
- Host a board game night with hot cocoa
- Try roasting pumpkin seeds
- Create a fall reading nook
- Have a Halloween movie marathon
- Start a gratitude journal as a family
- Create fall-themed crafts
- Tell spooky stories by candlelight
- Create a fall playlist together
- Have indoor camping with fall themes
- Do a 10-day family kindness challenge
Community Fall Activities for Families
I did some research and my community actually had a lot of these activities and I never even knew! Ask around and be willing to go somewhere new, you never know what kind of hidden gems you’ll find near you! If there isn’t anything like this near you, it’s a great opportunity to start something like this, even if it is smaller scale for your family or neighborhood.
- Attend free fall festivals
- Visit library fall story times
- Go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood
- Attend high school football games
- Visit free corn mazes
- Go to free outdoor concerts
- Visit local fall decorations displays
- Attend church or community harvest festivals
- Volunteer at local fall charity events
Fall Food Experiences on a Budget
- Make pumpkin soup from scratch
- Try new fall spice combinations
- Make homemade apple cider
- Bake and decorate sugar cookies with fall themes
- Make homemade pie together
- Making caramel apples
- Create a fall picnic
- Create trail mix with fall flavors
- Host a fall potluck with friends
Smart Budget Tips for Fall Family Activities
A lot of these activities are free or super cheap, but after 40 bucket list items the costs can add up. Setting a budget each month for seasonal activities can help you stay within your spending goals. You could also set a budget for the whole season if you’d like! Try prioritizing the free activities and ones you already have the ingredients or supplies for! You may be able to thrift or get things you need from the dollar store as well! Sharing the costs with other families for bigger activities such as the potluck can ensure those magical memories for little to no cost!
How to Use Your Fall Bucket List Successfully
Getting Started
Fall only lasts a couple of months so making memories as efficiently as possible is important! This fall bucket list comes with a free printable version for you to put on your fridge to keep it a focus throughout the season!
Mark a couple of the activities that your whole family thinks are MUST do’s and non negotiables and plan those out! Each family member can choose their top 5 activities as well and plan a couple of activities each week throughout fall.
List your activities on your family calendar or plan them around other significant traditions and dates in your family to make those times extra special! When those words “I’m bored” come up, don’t forget to turn to this list! Make the most of ever moment we have with those we love and turn boredom into an unforgettable experience!
Making Memories Last
Making those magical memories is the first step, but documenting them and making them last longer than the activity is what’s most important! A super fun way to document your fall memories is making a fall memory book! Take photos and write some information about what you and your family did, put it in a book and it can be something that lasts for generations! The photos don’t have to be perfect or even posed, they need to be authentic and fun! Focusing on connection and memories over perfection is what is going to make these memories unique to your family and priceless! Here is a link to one of my favorite photo books!
When fall comes to an end and the fall bucket list is completed, make sure to save it for next year! Use the activities that your family loved most as inspiration for other family bonding activities throughout the year!
Get Your Free Fall Bucket List Printable
This fall bucket list printable has the perfect aesthetic fall design, checkboxes for each activity, and some blank lines for you to create your own bucket list items!
Click the button below to download your fall bucket list! Share it on your social media to get your friends and family in on the fun!
Start Creating Fall Memories Today
These fall bucket list ideas can become more than something you found on Pinterest, these ideas can become special and unique family traditions that sprinkle magic on this season. Money is not something that will stop you since most of these ideas are free or can be done with supplies you already have in your house! Download the free printable and start planning the things you’re going to do this fall today! Just as the holiday seasons always do, this one will be over before you know it, so don’t waste a single minute to make those magical memories.
Comment below the activity you’re most excited to try or one of your favorite budget-friendly traditions your family already has!
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